A Day at SAKO — The Legendary BLT Sandwich Shop near Iwakuni US Base, Japan. | サコ 山口県岩国市

A Day at SAKO — The Legendary BLT Sandwich Shop near Iwakuni US Base, Japan. | サコ 山口県岩国市

SAKO, a sandwich shop loved by the Iwakuni U.S. base community for over 60 years. On this day, Missie-san’s friends visited from the U.S. and gathered for a big party. Kobe-san, who’s cycling around Japan, happened to stop by. He’s currently traveling in Japan from Arkansas, U.S. We enjoyed delicious food and plenty of fun conversations with Missie-san. A plush toy of “BATS,” the mascot of the 242nd U.S. Squadron stationed in Iwakuni. The shop is filled with photos and memorabilia from the U.S. military. She worked at the Iwakuni U.S. base for nearly 40 years, mainly as a secretary. The former owner of SAKO was a very well-known person. Many customers remember that owner and come back hoping for the same familiar taste. There have been people coming back after 15, 20, or even 30 years. One person even returned for the first time in 49 years. So many people still remember the previous owner. And when they arrive, they say, “Wow, SAKO is still here!” A customer once told me that the shop had appeared in an old issue of Playboy. I had never seen it, so I was really surprised to hear that! One day, another person visiting from the U.S. told me about a website for people who used to live in Iwakuni. On that site, people were talking about how SAKO had been featured in Playboy, or wondering, “I wonder if SAKO is still around.” And someone would reply, “Yes, it’s still there. It’s still going strong.” That really made me happy. It’s all thanks to the former owner and the legacy left behind. I was given the chance to carry that on, so I feel I need to do my best too. After the shop appeared on YouTube last year, I think it became the best year in the past 15 years. Thanks to the video, people came from all over Japan. Almost all of our new Japanese customers found us through YouTube. YouTube really is amazing. Some visitors came from places like the Tohoku region, the Kyushu region, Tokyo, the Kanto region, Fukui, and even Sado Island. We also had guests from the Shikoku region. It’s such a small shop, but so many people have come to visit. It makes me want to give them a little extra, and to chat with everyone. And that’s something I really enjoy. Missie-san used to work as a secretary at the Iwakuni base. That connection eventually led her to take over SAKO. Now it’s time to start today’s prep work. Their pork and chicken cutlets are especially popular. The pork is marinated in shio-koji from the day before. This piece is 1.8 centimeters thick. We originally started with 1.5 cm, but it felt a little too thin. So we tried cutting it to 2 cm instead. But at 2 cm, it was harder to cook through evenly. Then we tried 1.8 cm, and that seemed to be just right. So now we cut it to 1.8 cm. Funatsu-san’s husband, Iwao-san, is a former member of the Self-Defense Forces. He sometimes helps out at the shop. Many of her customers are passionate about airplanes. I can’t really explain things well, but he gives perfect explanations. And the customers really appreciate that. People often tell me, “I’m so glad I came.” And that always makes me happy too. One of SAKO’s most popular items: the onion rings. Since it’s new onion season, they’re a bit larger than usual. The egg from the BLT. Lettuce. Pork cutlet sandwich. The pork cutlet sandwich, cut in half. They say American customers often ask, “Can you cook the bacon more?”—even when it’s almost burnt. Cheese and egg. Avocado, tomato, lettuce. Look at that beautiful cross-section 🥺 Mae-san, a friend, met Kobe-san at a convenience store in Iwakuni and told him about the shop. Please, come on in. There’s a little surprise waiting for you today. You arrived at just the right time. Hello, Kobe-san! 😊 Kobe-san is traveling here from Arkansas, USA. That’s amazing. I thought this timing was perfect. Arkansas is in the southern U.S., next to Texas and Louisiana. Let’s take a look at Arkansas on the map. He say there were 40 tornadoes in the past two months. He’s nearly cycling all around Japan on his own. Chicken cutlet Fried fish The cheese is melting—it looks so delicious. Please go ahead and serve it before the party starts. He might be really hungry, you know. Apparently, Kobe-san has two Cessnas and his own runway at home. 😳😳 He was having a chat with Iwao-san about airplanes. Let’s have Kobe-san try some freshly made food. What do you think? They mentioned that this place was once featured in Playboy magazine in the U.S. The party preparations are coming along nicely. Have a seat. Today, Missie-san’s longtime friend Paul-san is hosting a party at the shop. This is Paul-san’s son and his lovely family. She’s the best. She runs Iwakuni. Everyone has been arriving one after another. Paul-san is a former professional soccer player from the U.S. He was born in Kobe and spent his childhood in Japan until he was 14. Born in Kobe—so I used to visit Yamaguchi often. My wife and our three grandkids came to Japan for the first time. I wanted to show them Iwakuni, Hiroshima, and Miyajima. So thank you. It’s all right, really. There are so many people here, aren’t there? Amazing. I love it. You can’t leave Japan! 23-year-old Kobe-san is being introduced to Paul-san. Kobe-san, really? When people hear he’s cycling around Japan, they’re always surprised. This is so good! So good!! Onion rings? Onion Rings Best Ever（史上最高のオニオンリング） Best!! So Delicious. Everyone’s amazed by how good the onion rings are. They seem to like the hand-rolled sushi too. So good. I don’t want the BLT. It’s okay, go ahead. If I eat that, I’ll turn into a sumo wrestler! Wow, that’s delicious! This place is famous for its BLT, right? But the pork cutlet sandwich is amazing too. They’re having such a lovely conversation. A member from the Iwakuni base came to visit. Please come in. He brought gifts all the way from the U.S. Missie-san and the base community are connected by kindness. Missie-san’s tempura is very popular among the base personnel. Paul-san and his group were very pleased as well. It’s time to say goodbye. Goodbye, see you again. We also said farewell to Paul-san’s son. Thank you very much. 😊 Kobe-san received sandwiches as a gift to take home. Kobe-san makes YouTube videos about his cycling journey. We also told him about the previous SAKO video. He carries a backpack weighing nearly 20 kilograms. 😳 He carries several days’ worth of water and snacks, along with a water filter like this. It seems to have incredible filtration power. Kobe-san’s job is a mechanical engineer. I love traveling. Thank you, Kobe-san!!! Take care and have a safe trip!!! Earlier, Chuck-san, who works at the base, brought these for her. Party toothpicks. These aren’t available in Japan, so my friends often buy or bring them from overseas. This time, he brought 6,000 of them. Looking around inside SAKO’s shop, there are patches brought by people connected to the U.S. military. All the patches are wonderful, but these were all gifts to us. This one is the GREEN KNIGHTS. Adam-san, the current commander, often provided catering for us. He will leave Iwakuni this June. He is a truly wonderful person. We have already met the next person taking over. This successor has already visited twice. He is very handsome and a great person. The 242nd Squadron is a Marine Corps Fighter Attack Squadron, also known as the BATS, founded 82 years ago. This is the unit’s mascot. Alex was the first to arrive, along with the pilot’s family. He had heard about me, and suddenly said, “This is for you!” and gave me this. The squadron’s symbol is a bat. Both Americans and Japanese are surprised and ask, “Where did you get this?” I’m very happy. Here is the 242nd Squadron patch. Last year, Captain George Washington and his group also visited. One of the guests who found them through YouTube came all the way from Busan, South Korea. Her husband used to serve as a military doctor. Both of them speak fluent Japanese—thanks to anime! They really enjoyed having conversations about all sorts of things. It seems they even visited Okunoshima, the famous Rabbit Island. They’ve kept in touch ever since, after first meeting here over a BLT sandwich. Missie-san’s days are filled with wonderful encounters—it all looks so joyful. Now it’s our turn to enjoy a meal. We asked Missie-san to serve us in English. This BLT sandwich has such a beautiful cross section. It’s packed with fillings—let’s dig in! What an amazing harmony of flavors. 😋 Here’s their 1.8 cm-thick pork cutlet sandwich. Thick and juicy—so satisfying! It’s one of SAKO’s signature items. The secret blend of seasonings really brings out the flavor. 😋

#sako #japanesefood #blt

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🔷🔷SAKO’s previous video🔷🔷
Iconic BLT Sandwich Shop Near Iwakuni US Base: Loved by Locals and Military for 62 Years! “SAKO”

This time, we’re featuring SAKO, a beloved sandwich shop in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. For over 60 years, it’s been a warm and welcoming spot, especially loved by the community at the Iwakuni U.S. military base.
This is actually our second time filming at SAKO — the first video we made last year has been viewed over 850,000 times! Thanks to that, many people from all over Japan came to visit after watching it on YouTube. Thank you so much!!
In this new video, we join a big party to welcome her friend Paul-san, who came all the way from the U.S. Delicious BLT sandwiches and pork cutlet sandwiches. The tempura was also very popular. And by chance, we also met Kobe-san, who is currently cycling around Japan — we captured that moment, too!
Missie-san, the owner of SAKO, seems to be living a joyful life filled with amazing encounters every day. We hope you’ll enjoy a glimpse into her wonderful world through this video✨

🔷Shop Information
Name: “SAKO” Sandwich restaurant / 「サコ」 サンドウィッチレストラン
Address: 2-8-25 Kurumamachi, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, JAPAN
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KoXoyegR3JiqZjML9
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bltsakoiwakuni/

*Video shooting is done with permission of the restaurant.

🔷Chapter
00:00 Digest
01:13 Main story, preparations, Missie-san’s story
06:11 Restaurant opens
08:00 Kobe-san arrives
12:09 Group arrives, party
13:00 Paul-san arrives
18:00 Kobe-san leaves
21:29 After closing, Missie-san’s story, Eating

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* Please note that all information regarding the video is based on personal vague memories and may not necessarily be accurate.
* Title, summary, and subtitle translations are automatic and may contain errors.

#sandwich #iwakuni #iwakunibase #cuisine #soulfood #foodtour #japan #japantrip #japantravel #yamaguchitrip #yamaguchitravel #yamaguchifood #setouchi #inlandsea #foreign #foreigner